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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading And against that backdrop: a ship, vast beyond imagining, blotting out half the titanic vista with its bulk---- But dead.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading The great black torpedo shape, dull moonlight glinting along the unbelievable length of its sleek flank, drifted: a derelict.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It showed us a vast emptiness of bottomless black, set thick with corruscating points of polychrome brilliance that hurt to look at.
backdrop
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From this reading And against that backdrop: a ship, vast beyond imagining, blotting out half the titanic vista with its bulk---- But dead.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/
next to; at the side of
From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
beyondprepositionUS /bɪˈɑːnd/
on the far side of; further than
From this reading And against that backdrop: a ship, vast beyond imagining, blotting out half the titanic vista with its bulk---- But dead.
black
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From this reading It showed us a vast emptiness of bottomless black, set thick with corruscating points of polychrome brilliance that hurt to look at.
blotting
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From this reading And against that backdrop: a ship, vast beyond imagining, blotting out half the titanic vista with its bulk---- But dead.
bottomless
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From this reading It showed us a vast emptiness of bottomless black, set thick with corruscating points of polychrome brilliance that hurt to look at.
brilliance
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From this reading It showed us a vast emptiness of bottomless black, set thick with corruscating points of polychrome brilliance that hurt to look at.
bulk
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From this reading And against that backdrop: a ship, vast beyond imagining, blotting out half the titanic vista with its bulk---- But dead.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading And against that backdrop: a ship, vast beyond imagining, blotting out half the titanic vista with its bulk---- But dead.
button
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From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
corruscating
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From this reading It showed us a vast emptiness of bottomless black, set thick with corruscating points of polychrome brilliance that hurt to look at.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Even from the distance of miles, I could sense it.
deadnounUS /dead/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And against that backdrop: a ship, vast beyond imagining, blotting out half the titanic vista with its bulk---- But dead.
derelict
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From this reading The great black torpedo shape, dull moonlight glinting along the unbelievable length of its sleek flank, drifted: a derelict.
distance
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From this reading Even from the distance of miles, I could sense it.
drifted
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From this reading The great black torpedo shape, dull moonlight glinting along the unbelievable length of its sleek flank, drifted: a derelict.
dull
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From this reading The great black torpedo shape, dull moonlight glinting along the unbelievable length of its sleek flank, drifted: a derelict.
emptiness
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From this reading It showed us a vast emptiness of bottomless black, set thick with corruscating points of polychrome brilliance that hurt to look at.
EvennounUS /even/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Even from the distance of miles, I could sense it.
flank
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From this reading The great black torpedo shape, dull moonlight glinting along the unbelievable length of its sleek flank, drifted: a derelict.
Foster
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From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Even from the distance of miles, I could sense it.
glinting
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From this reading The great black torpedo shape, dull moonlight glinting along the unbelievable length of its sleek flank, drifted: a derelict.
glowed
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From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
greatnounUS /great/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The great black torpedo shape, dull moonlight glinting along the unbelievable length of its sleek flank, drifted: a derelict.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
halfnounUS /half/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And against that backdrop: a ship, vast beyond imagining, blotting out half the titanic vista with its bulk---- But dead.
hours
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From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
hurt
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From this reading It showed us a vast emptiness of bottomless black, set thick with corruscating points of polychrome brilliance that hurt to look at.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
imagining
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From this reading And against that backdrop: a ship, vast beyond imagining, blotting out half the titanic vista with its bulk---- But dead.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading And against that backdrop: a ship, vast beyond imagining, blotting out half the titanic vista with its bulk---- But dead.
later
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From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
lengthnounUS /leŋθ/
a period of time or extent
From this reading The great black torpedo shape, dull moonlight glinting along the unbelievable length of its sleek flank, drifted: a derelict.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
looknounUS /look/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It showed us a vast emptiness of bottomless black, set thick with corruscating points of polychrome brilliance that hurt to look at.
miles
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From this reading Even from the distance of miles, I could sense it.
moonlight
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From this reading The great black torpedo shape, dull moonlight glinting along the unbelievable length of its sleek flank, drifted: a derelict.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It showed us a vast emptiness of bottomless black, set thick with corruscating points of polychrome brilliance that hurt to look at.
out
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From this reading And against that backdrop: a ship, vast beyond imagining, blotting out half the titanic vista with its bulk---- But dead.
points
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From this reading It showed us a vast emptiness of bottomless black, set thick with corruscating points of polychrome brilliance that hurt to look at.
polychrome
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From this reading It showed us a vast emptiness of bottomless black, set thick with corruscating points of polychrome brilliance that hurt to look at.
screen
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From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
sense
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From this reading Even from the distance of miles, I could sense it.
set
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From this reading It showed us a vast emptiness of bottomless black, set thick with corruscating points of polychrome brilliance that hurt to look at.
shape
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The great black torpedo shape, dull moonlight glinting along the unbelievable length of its sleek flank, drifted: a derelict.
shipnounUS /ship/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And against that backdrop: a ship, vast beyond imagining, blotting out half the titanic vista with its bulk---- But dead.
showed
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From this reading It showed us a vast emptiness of bottomless black, set thick with corruscating points of polychrome brilliance that hurt to look at.
silent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
silver
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From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
sleek
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From this reading The great black torpedo shape, dull moonlight glinting along the unbelievable length of its sleek flank, drifted: a derelict.
stoodnounUS /stood/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
ten-foot
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From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And against that backdrop: a ship, vast beyond imagining, blotting out half the titanic vista with its bulk---- But dead.
thick
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It showed us a vast emptiness of bottomless black, set thick with corruscating points of polychrome brilliance that hurt to look at.
titanic
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From this reading And against that backdrop: a ship, vast beyond imagining, blotting out half the titanic vista with its bulk---- But dead.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It showed us a vast emptiness of bottomless black, set thick with corruscating points of polychrome brilliance that hurt to look at.
torpedo
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The great black torpedo shape, dull moonlight glinting along the unbelievable length of its sleek flank, drifted: a derelict.
touched
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
two
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
unbelievable
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The great black torpedo shape, dull moonlight glinting along the unbelievable length of its sleek flank, drifted: a derelict.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It showed us a vast emptiness of bottomless black, set thick with corruscating points of polychrome brilliance that hurt to look at.
vast
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It showed us a vast emptiness of bottomless black, set thick with corruscating points of polychrome brilliance that hurt to look at.
vista
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From this reading And against that backdrop: a ship, vast beyond imagining, blotting out half the titanic vista with its bulk---- But dead.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading It was two hours later, and Foster and I stood silent before a ten-foot screen that had glowed into life when I touched a silver button beside it.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading It showed us a vast emptiness of bottomless black, set thick with corruscating points of polychrome brilliance that hurt to look at.